The Palin "task from God" myth

During his interview with Sarah Palin, ABC's Charlie Gibson misquoted one of her past statements, claiming that she said "Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God."

However, Palin actually asked her congregation to "pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."

In context, the phrase "for this country" in Palin's second sentence clearly links it with the request that people "pray" in the first sentence. Also, the third sentence clearly indicates that people should pray that US military decisions are part of a "task" or "plan" from God, not that she knows that to be true.

Even though Gibson came under fire for his statement, the myth is still out there. Most recently, the AFP, a foreign wire service widely available on American websites, claimed without explanation that Palin "has previously remarked that US soldiers in Iraq were being sent on a task from God."

Comments

[Samuel]

She did, however, quite explicitly say that the natural gas pipeline was "God's will.":

"I think God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas pipeline built."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q9MMJESywA&eurl=http://lots-o-thoughts.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah-palin-interview.html

[Mike Stiber]

I'm not sure I agree with your parsing of this statement. That's the problem with public pronouncements by people who have an incomplete command of the English language: who knows what they mean? Besides stringing together words to make sentences (when speaking extemporaneously), Palin seems to have trouble going beyond producing anything other thy disconnected bits of thought.

[Rob]

Mike Stiber wrote: "thy disconnected bits of thought"

Is this Mike's prophetic voice?

[Howard Craft]

Thy comment is funny Rob.

[David]

Samuel, in a way Palin's comment that you linked is preferable to Obamas's typical way of speaking. The reference to God may have been inappropriate, but she left no doubt that she considers this pipeline important and is committed to getting it done.

By comparison, Obama's speeches are awesome, but afterwards it's hard to remember just what he said. We all applaud Obama's speeches, but they tend to be short on specific guidance.

[MartyB]

"That's the problem with public pronouncements by people who have an incomplete command of the English language: who knows what they mean?"

Don't pick on Biden that way!

Or Obama for that matter - how many times has he admitted he has "mis-spoken".

: )

Seriously though, thanks for posting on this issue Brendan. Gibson was absolutely wrong when he cut off the first part of her quote and claimed it was "exact words".

Interestingly, her explanation in that interview using Lincoln as an example - that we would be on God’s side not He on our side - makes it clear she was asking for people to pray the country would be "doing God's will", not that she knew exactly what His will was.

I wonder why people trust the MSM less and less?